Launch with hundreds onboard reaches Barisal after 10 hours in Meghna

A launch, 'Parbat-9', has finally reached Barisal with hundreds of passengers on board after being stuck on a sandbar at Hijla Upazila in the Meghna River for 10 hours.

The launch's Barisal zone supervisor Selim Mia said it had left Dhaka's Sadarghat for Barisal around 8pm on Thursday. The launch master dropped anchor at the Miyarchar at 3am due to dense fog.

“The fog cleared in the morning but the launch was found stuck on a hidden sandbar because the water level had receded,” he added.

With rising tide, the vessel was freed around 1pm on Friday, and reached Barisal after 4pm.

The launch has the provision to carry 800 people, but it was carrying around 1,500, Mustafizur Rahman Sumon, a passenger of the launch, told bdnews24.com over the phone.

Several of the stranded passengers were candidates for National University’s entry test. Rahman said they tried to vandalise the launch after they missed the Friday morning test.

Many passengers had left the launch to proceed to Barisal in small boats before it was freed.

BIWTC Deputy Director Abul Bashar Mojumder said the launch reached Barisal after 4pm.